27 



Ramirez (R.). La Cochinilla de la Caiia de Azucar. [The Sugar- 

 cane Scale.] — Rev. Agric, San Jacinto, Mexico, vi, no. 5, 

 September 1921, p. 307, 1 fig. 

 This is a brief note on a Coccid, Llaveia sacchari, infesting sugar- 

 cane in Mexico. At the beginning of an infestation it is easily checked 

 by spraying with petroleum, gasoline, or calcium polysulphides. 

 Badly infested canes should be burned. 



Zacher (F.). Schadlinge der Nutzpflanzen im West-Sudan. [The Pests 

 of Economic Plants in the Western Sudan.] — Der Tropenpflanzer, 

 Berlin, xxiv, nos. 7-8 and 9-10, July- August and September- 

 October 1921, pp. 97-108, 132-142. 



The Senegal and Upper Niger regions are of ever-increasing import- 

 ance as sources of raw materials, especially oil and fibres, and this 

 paper deals with the known insect pests as well as those that may 

 be expected there. 



Sorghum and Pennisetum are of great importance as food. According 

 to A. and J. Vuillet, Aphids may be serious pests of these crops. 

 The method of encouraging the natural enemies of Aphis sorghi, 

 Theo., and of A. maidis. Fitch, which is of less importance, as well 

 as of Siphonophora leptadeniae, a species harmless to Sorghum, by 

 planting Leptadenia lancifolia, is described [cf. R. A.E., A, ii, 396, 630]. 

 If the infestation is very severe, Pennisetum spicatum should be grown 

 for a time. Well-shaded ground should not be planted with Sorghum. 

 In Togo, Busse has recorded Aphis sorghella, Schout., on Sorghum ^ 

 but this species is said to be identical with A. sorghi, Theo. 



Pennisetum spicatum seems to suffer little from insects, and the 

 only pest recorded from the French Sudan is a weevil, Siderodactylus 

 Sagittarius, 01., feeding on the leaves. 



Harvested grain is damaged by insects, especially Calandra oryzae, L., 

 though Sorghum suffers less risk owing to the small size of the grain. 



The ground-nut is the chief cultivated plant, and crops in the Senegal 

 region have been reduced by insect attack, especially in dry weather. 

 The pests concerned have already been dealt with at length b}- 

 Roubaud [R.A.E., A, v, 338]. 



The earth-pea, Voandzeia subterranea, is injured by Briichiis vicinns, 

 var. suhinnotatns. Pic, from three to five individuals occurring in one 

 seed. 



Cotton has more enemies than the ground-nut in the region of 

 the Upper Niger. Nearly all the more important cotton pests 

 found in Togo occur here. Most of them have already been dealt 

 with [R.A.E., A, ii, 1]. 



Tobacco is largely grown in some districts, and though losses from 

 insect pests have not been published, it is certain that many of the 

 African tobacco pests [R.A.E., A, viii, 424] occur. 

 1/ On the Guinea coast coffee and cacao are infested by the beetles, 

 Mallodon downesi, Hope, Monochamus [Monohammus) ruspator, F., 

 Ancylonotus tribulus, F., Coptops aedificator , F., Baraeus sordidus, 0\., 

 B. marmoratus, F., and Sternotomis chrysopras, Voet, while Inesida 

 obscura, F., is a dangerous pest of Castilloa. The kola nut pest, 

 Balanogastris colae, Desbr., also occurs in Senegal. 



Acacia trees are of great economic importance, the most valuable 

 species being Acacia verek, which produces most of the gum arable 

 exported from the Prench Sudan. The wood of this and other species 

 is attacked by the Bostrychids, Xylopertha picea, 01. (which also 



